FlaLaw » Volume X Issue IXhttp://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw
University of Florida Levin College of LawMon, 23 Feb 2015 16:36:01 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Gators Ready to Take a Bite Out of Bulldogs in Moot Courthttp://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2006/10/gators-ready-to-take-a-bite-out-of-bulldogs-in-moot-court/
http://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2006/10/gators-ready-to-take-a-bite-out-of-bulldogs-in-moot-court/#commentsMon, 23 Oct 2006 00:00:46 +0000http://www.law.ufl.edu/wpflalaw/?p=4228On Friday, Oct. 27, one day before the Gators and Bulldogs renew their rivalry on the football field, law students from the University of Florida and the University of Georgia will square off in the annual Florida-Georgia Hulsey-Kimbrell Moot Court Competition.

The competition will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the federal courthouse in Jacksonville. Two UF Moot Court board members, John Rains and Gretchen Lehman, will compete against two members of the Georgia Moot Court Board, Chad Armstrong and Shalanna Pirtle.

Coaching the UF Law team this semester are two current moot court team members, Mike Hargett and Scott Bowman.

Five senior U.S. district judges from Florida and Georgia will preside over the competition, including Judge Anthony A. Alaimo (presiding) of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia; Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida; Judge Wm. Terrell Hodges of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida; Judge B. Avant Edenfield of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia; and Judge John H. Moore of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

]]>http://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2006/10/gators-ready-to-take-a-bite-out-of-bulldogs-in-moot-court/feed/0Law Student Puts His Ingenuity to Work as an Entrepreneurhttp://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2006/10/law-student-puts-his-ingenuity-to-work-as-an-entrepreneur/
http://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2006/10/law-student-puts-his-ingenuity-to-work-as-an-entrepreneur/#commentsMon, 23 Oct 2006 00:00:46 +0000http://www.law.ufl.edu/wpflalaw/?p=4234When asked to bring a prop for his portrait, Andre Hammel didn’t bring a little token to represent himself. He brought a construction truck…a real, two-ton dumpster-hauling truck.

This is typical of Hammel, whose ingenuity has helped him succeed as an entrepreneur and accomplish plenty in his 24 years. Not only does he own his own real estate investment company and waste-management company, he also is a second-year law student.

After graduating from Florida A&M University in 2003, Hammel, who was student body president at FAMU, deferred his acceptance to UF Law and worked for the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and Gov. Jeb Bush’s office for the next two years. To earn money, he also took a job as a hotel bellman.

“I would work 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Capital, and then from 5 p.m. to midnight I would work as a bellman at the Doubletree Hotel,” he said. “My friends from college would ask me, ‘Andre, what are you doing working as a bellboy?’”

But Hammel, who is 6 feet 5 inches tall, had a plan. He saved his money to start a real estate investment company, Hammel Solomon Tyler Holdings Property. The company invests in urban communities and troubled neighborhoods where housing is typically in disrepair. Hammel bought his first property in the fall of 2004, and has since acquired nine other units in Tallahassee, Gainesville and Atlanta.

“Most landlords don’t care about these places or take care of them,” he said in a deep voice that is surprisingly soft-spoken. “We do.”

According to American Bar Association standards, law students are not allowed to have jobs as first-year law students, so Hammel hired property managers to take care of his investments when he began law school last fall. With business obligations looked after, he decided to do something for the Gainesville community. He started the Caring and Sharing Mentoring Project, which in its first year paired 70 law students with elementary school students.

Hammel’s peers took notice of his dedication, as well as his humility, in his first year as a law student and selected him as one of three Students of the Year. Most students are chosen in their third-year as law students. Hammel believes anyone who had created that type of program would have received the award.

“It’s humbling and scary,” Hammel said of his award. “Some of these students are on a superior level academically, and I’m just average. It is empowering when people say they see these good things in me, but I’m not sure if I see them in myself.”

What Hammel doesn’t have is a plan to slow down anytime soon. This past summer he expanded his business to include a waste-management company, EAT Waste and Hauling, which he started after realizing it would be more cost efficient to own his own dumpsters for use during property renovation, rather than renting them. As a secondyear law student he is allowed to work up to 20 hours per week, but he hopes to hire a secretary using money from grants so he can better balance school and work.

After law school, Hammel hopes to grow his business and increase his public service using whatever platform is available. He believes UF Law has helped him develop as a person and as a student, and brought him closer to reaching his goals.

“My whole thought process has been enhanced and developed at UF Law,” Hammel said. “I’ve learned so much from my professors and my peers. It’s a training ground and a great place for a legal education.”

The UF Law Conservation Clinic was commissioned by the Office of the Provost to conduct a university-wide review of UF’s sustainability curriculum, including courses, academic programs and centers and institutes.

The review concluded that “[a]lthough there are significant curricular gaps, the University of Florida already has a rich curriculum in courses that is based in sustainability theory or relates to sustainability principles, and that rivals the curricula at peer and other institutions which have formalized their sustainability curricula into interdisciplinary programs, including graduate and undergraduate degree programs, certificates and minors.

“The university should consider creating a programmatic emphasis in sustainability at both the undergraduate and graduate level, and provide additional strategic resources to leverage its current curricula.”

The Provost accepted the clinic’s report and directed the University Sustainability Committee to develop an implementation plan. Ankersen was appointed as an ex-officio member of the committee.

• Presented paper, “The Second Devolution of European Competition Law: The Political Economy of Antitrust Enforcement Under a ‘More Economic Approach,’” to the 25th Conference on New Political Economy, hosted by the Center for the Study of Law and Economics, University of the Saarland, Saarbruecken, Germany, Oct. 12-14.

• Presented “Foreshadowing Litigation: Emphasis on Patenting Could Mean New Intellectual Property Related Employment Disputes for Universities,” at Closing in On Open Science: Trends in Intellectual Property and Scientific Research Sposium, University of Maine School of Law, Sept. 29.

• Merck Visiting Scholar at Seton Hall Law School the week of Oct. 15. He gave a faculty workshop entilted “Dangerousness and Expertise,”delivered a public lecture, entitled “The Criminal Justice System as a Public Health System,” gave a faculty workshop at Villanova Law School entitled “Preventive Justice,” and taught a class in Mental Health Law at Seton Hall.

In the News

George R. “Bob” Dekle

Legal Skills Professor; Director, Criminal Law Clinic-Prosecution

• The Ledger, Oct. 13. Quoted in an article about convicted mss-murderer Nelson Serrano’s penalty trial and attempts to restrict the emotion of witnesses’ testimonies.

Lyrissa Barnett Lidsky

Professor, UF Research Foundation Professor

• Technology Daily, Oct. 12. Quoted in a story about a Florida woman who was awarded $11.3 million in a defamation lawsuit against a Louisiana woman who posted messages on a Web log accusing her of being a “crook,” a “conartist” and a “fraud.”

Joseph W. Little

Professor; Alumni Research Scholar

• St. Petersburg Times, Oct. 16. Quoted in a story on defrocked county judge Elizabeth “Betsey” Hapner, who is seeking office nine years after being removed from the bench by the Florida Supreme Court for abandoning her law practice and neglecting her clients to run for office; lying to get an injunction against her estranged husband; and repeatedly missing court-imposed deadlines, then misrepresenting why she had.

Christopher Peterson

Associate Professor

• Daily Sundial, Oct. 16. Mentioned in an article in the paper of California State University, where his research partner in predatory lending, Steven M. Graves, Teaches.

Barbara Bennett Woodhouse

Professor

• USA Today, Oct. 14. Quoted in an article that looks at the increasing number of rulings in favor of grandparents seeking more time with their grandchildren.

Danaya Wright

Professor

• Palm Beach Post, Oct. 15. Quoted in an article about the children of a deceased man whose children are frustrated because of a loophole law that allows widows to reside in a house after the death of their husbands even if the house is not willed to them.

]]>http://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2006/10/scholarship-activities-7/feed/0Take a Little Mental Health Quizhttp://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2006/10/take-a-little-mental-health-quiz/
http://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2006/10/take-a-little-mental-health-quiz/#commentsMon, 23 Oct 2006 00:00:29 +0000http://www.law.ufl.edu/wpflalaw/?p=4244Have you ever read one of those magazines that asks you to “take a quiz” to find out if you are having boyfriend problems, or if you are a needy person? Well I am providing for you the opportunity to take a mental health quiz to find out how you are doing and handling life situations. Note that this is not a formal mental status exam, and most of it should be taken with a grain of salt. However, if you notice that many or some of these questions apply to you, then you have the opportunity to come talk to me or another mental health professional about your concerns. So here we go!

• Do you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep?

• Do you feel that your eating habits have changed or become abnormal?

• Are there days when it is difficult to get out of bed?

• Do you ever have thoughts of harm to yourself or others?

• Do you feel that life is “enveloping” you?

• Do you get nervous or have a racing heart beat when you think of all you have to do?

• Do you ever have trouble staying focused on one topic or paying attention in class?

• Have you ever lied to your friends or family about the amount that you drink?

• Do you feel that you will never live up to other’s expectations of you?

• Do you ever have racing thoughts or feel that life is overwhelming?

• Can you remember the last time you took a day off?

• Do you ever feel like giving up or have lasting moments of selfdoubt?

At the risk of sounding cliché, if you answered yes to three or more of these questions consider talking to someone about how you are doing. No matter how hard we try or think we are weak for having life difficulties, other people struggle to manage what life has given them as well.

Don’t feel embarrassed to ask for help, it could make a huge difference in your happiness and levels of success. Feel free to stop by my office Monday-Wednesday or make an appointment. My office is located in Student Affairs and my e-mail address is Wnobles2@law.ufl.edu. Have a great week and remember to take time for yourself!

Business and corporate legal employers tend to hire on an “as needed” basis, although if you are interested in summering in a corporate legal department, you would want to focus your targeted mailings in the fall and early spring. These employers typically do not participate in on-campus interviewing programs.

Some federal government agencies, particularly those with Honors Programs, recruit each fall for positions beginning the following summer or beyond. Other agencies hire only when vacancies occur so a targeted mailing can be effective for these agencies.

Most state and local agencies hire on an “as needed” basis depending on funding and personnel needs. In Florida, government employers operate on a July 1 fiscal year so typically, more of the public defender and state attorney’s offices participate in spring OCI for anticipated openings after July 1. Students, however, should stay in contact with the judicial circuit offices of interest throughout the year as unanticipated openings can occur anytime. Follow-through and persistence are essential for under-resourced state and local agencies.

The majority of public interest agencies hire on an “as needed” basis when vacancies occur or as new grants are received. Typically they hire first- and second-year law students for the summer on a fellowship or volunteer basis. The agencies are less likely to recruit on campus than hire someone who has worked for them during a summer. A demonstrated prior commitment to public interest and networking is critical to obtaining these positions.

Federal courts under the federal hiring guidelines accept applications for postgraduate judicial clerkships the day after Labor Day of your third year of law school. Typically interviews are conducted and hiring decisions made fairly soon after that time. Florida state courts accept applications for postgraduate judicial clerkships at various times, although many accept them during the spring semester for vacancies the following fall.

Small law firms tend to recruit second year law students in the spring and third year law students in the spring, summer, following admission to the bar, or on an “as needed” basis. They usually do not recruit on campus but expect students to apply directly to them. They often hire students who have been working for them on a parttime basis during the academic year.

Medium-large (50-99 attorneys) and medium (20-50) sized law firms are more challenging to characterize recruiting methods. Those in large cities such as Atlanta or Miami tend to follow large firm practices by hosting a formal summer program, with recruitment exclusively in the fall except for a couple of slots for outstanding 1Ls. Other medium-sized firms are less structured and may recruit in the spring, fall or on an “as needed” basis. Targeted mailings can prove successful for these employers, who are not as likely to visit campus.

Large law firms (100+ attorneys) recruit second- and third-year students almost exclusively in the fall for summer associates through on-campus interviews and targeted mailings. The law firm’s second year summer program typically is used as a mechanism for hiring new permanent associates.

]]>http://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2006/10/career-services-4/feed/0Career Spotlight: George Selby (JD 73), Corporate Vice President, Law, Motorola Networkshttp://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2006/10/career-spotlight-george-selby-jd-73-corporate-vice-president-law-motorola-networks/
http://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2006/10/career-spotlight-george-selby-jd-73-corporate-vice-president-law-motorola-networks/#commentsMon, 23 Oct 2006 00:00:16 +0000http://www.law.ufl.edu/wpflalaw/?p=4241George Selby isn’t even sure how he ended up as a lawyer—his father is a doc- tor who thought his son had gone to “the dark side”—but taking courses on basic corporations and antitrust at UF Law stimulated an interest in corporate law.

“It’s interesting how careers can be serendipitous,” he said. “My antitrust law professor suggested I apply for a position with the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division through their honors program. I was accepted and used that as springboard first to a corporate practice with a law firm in Washington, D.C., and then to joining Motorola.”

Selby found that the more he worked with business, the more he enjoyed the diversity of the experience. For those out there just beginning their careers, he said, consider that a corporate practice in- volves virtually every area of law, which provides for a rich range of potential experiences.

“Over the course of my career, I have handled everything from M&A to employ- ee terminations, criminal investigations, FDA regulatory matters and international dispute resolution,” Selby explained. “I’ve had experience in court and in the boardroom. The opportunity to provide legal advice and counseling that shapes a global business icon like Motorola has been extremely satisfying.”

Asked to name the hot legal issues in corporate practice today, Selby doesn’t hesitate. The answer is compliance.

“For a publicly traded, major international corporation like Motorola, the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act has been enor- mous,” he said. “The cost of compliance is immense, but it pales in comparison to the business risk if you don’t do it right. Motorola prides itself on its commitment to business ethics.”

]]>http://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2006/10/career-spotlight-george-selby-jd-73-corporate-vice-president-law-motorola-networks/feed/0Cox and Boyer Named Best Team at Trial Team Final Fourhttp://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2006/10/cox-and-boyer-named-best-team-at-trial-team-final-four/
http://www.law.ufl.edu/flalaw/2006/10/cox-and-boyer-named-best-team-at-trial-team-final-four/#commentsMon, 23 Oct 2006 00:00:08 +0000http://www.law.ufl.edu/wpflalaw/?p=4231Molly Cox and Scott Boyer were named Best Team at the Fall 2006 Trial Team Final Four Intramural Competition on Oct. 13.

Cox, pictured above, also was recognized as Best Advocate in the competition, which was presided over by Paul C. Huck, district judge for the Southern District of Florida.

The case at trial was a civil case involving a jet hoist, dewatering pumps, an industrial accident, and premises liability.

Cox and Boyer represented the plaintiff, and were coached by Roni Beasley and Will Blair. Frank Gaulden and Justin Stevens represented the defense, and were coached by Liz Rigaud and Suzette Maylor.

The jury panel consisted of attorneys LaShawnda K. Jackson and Steven I. Klein of Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell, and Fermin Lopez from Payas Payas Payas. All three are UF Law alumni.

Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell, a litigation firm with offices in Florida and Alabama, was the sponsoring law firm for the competition.

It is critical to remain professional and respectful of the legal employers and your classmates during the callback and offer stage of the recruitment process. You do not want to be perceived as having wasted legal employers time and resources without a legitimate reason. To hoard callbacks and hold open multiple offers will not ultimately benefit your reputation in the legal community. Recruiters do talk. Please remember that when you release an offer, it may well be extended to one of your UF Law classmates. Therefore, it is not only unfair but also discourteous to hold offers open that you do not intend to accept.

Timing of Accepting Offers

Student and employer expectations and obligations are listed in the NALP Standards for the Timing of Offers & Decision available at www.nalp.org. For those students who received an offer from their summer employer before Sept. 15, Nov. 1 is the deadline for students to accept or decline the offer of employment. With the permission of the employer, a student with an offer deadline of Nov. 1 who is holding only one other offer may extend to Dec. 1. All other offers must be accepted by or preferably before Dec. 1. Additionally, it is important to advise prospective employers if you are competing for a fellowships or judicial clerkships with late hiring decisions. If you are holding an offer(s), it is to your professional benefit to:

• Make timely decisions.

• Promptly and graciously decline callbacks or offers from firms you are no longer seriously considering.

• Maintain contact with the firm to keep them apprised of your status and to reaffirm your continued interest.

Accepting the Offer

Please remember that accepting an offer from an employer represents a serious commitment. It is highly recommended that you carefully consider an offer before accepting and that you fully intend to honor the commitment once you have made your decision. A Career Services professional counselor can help you assess your options to determine the best fit for you. Rescinding your summer or permanent job acceptance is unprofessional conduct that may impair your reputation in the legal community. If your circumstances change and you are weighing whether to back out of your decision, please talk to Career Services BEFORE calling the employer. UF Law must maintain a solid working relationship with all legal employers and we want to help you do what is in the best interest of your professional career and reputation.

Drafting Powerful Cover Letters

Writing an effective cover letter can seem like the hardest part of your job search. It is worth spending a lot of time on your letters, however, as many employers view them as the most important part of your search.

Network & Research

• As with other aspects of your job search, networking plays a pivotal role in letter writing.

• Extra time spent networking and learning about an employer can really pay off.

• Finding contacts to whom you can address your letters is the essential first step to writing a good letter.

• Try to set up your connections so that you not only can address each letter to a person with whom you share some commonality, but so that you can start your letter with “Mr./Ms. X suggested that I contact you.”